


She's Gone

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Family Don't End With Blood [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Supernatural
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s02e21 Pa Make Loa (Touch of Death), Friendship, Grief, Grief/Mourning, Loss, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 02:04:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11174736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: After Supernatural Pilot - Sam copes with the loss of Jess, with the help of a friend.





	She's Gone

For weeks after Jess died, Sam shut himself off from everyone except Dean. He didn’t want to talk to any of his old Stanford friends. Why would he? They wouldn’t be able to understand the anger that kept his grief at bay. They wouldn’t have any idea about how he felt or what was going on. To them, it was a tragedy that Jess had died, but nothing more than that. They had no idea about the supernatural. _Neither did she, and look where it got her_. Sam shoved that thought away and held on to his anger even more.

Even with Dean, he hid. They’d been apart too long for them to just fall back into the relationship they’d once had. Back in the day, back before Stanford, there wasn’t really much of anything that Sam kept from Dean. He definitely would’ve told him about Jess, even about the nightmares he’d been having before her death, and it would’ve been Dean that he opened up to once she was gone. Keeping his grief from Dean wouldn’t have even crossed his mind.

Time and distance had changed that. They weren’t the same kids they’d been when Sam had run away. They’d done so much, seen so much, just in their short time apart, and there was still a bit of anger on both sides. Anger from Dean that Sam had abandoned them. Anger from Sam that Dean couldn’t understand why he had needed to go. It made it hard for them to reach out to each other now. Like there was a giant chasm between them that Sam felt grew wider with each day they were back out on the road.

Sam knew it was his own fault. Knew it, and yet couldn’t seem to bring himself to fix it.

When Dean yet again went out to a bar after one of their cases – after spending almost twenty minutes trying to convince Sam to come with him – the younger Winchester was finally left alone in his room. There was no telling how long he would’ve just sat there on his bed staring off into space, lost in his memories, if a knock hadn’t sounded at the door.

Barely any time back on the road and Sam was already back into the mindset of a hunter. He grabbed is gun before he was even fully off the bed and kept it held loose and ready as he made his way over, eyes scanning all the salt lines along the way. Realizing that he was doing it made his heart clench a little in his chest. _I got out. I wasn’t supposed to do this anymore. I got_ out _._

One look through the peephole had him freezing in shock. That was…holy shit.

He didn’t realize how long he’d been standing there until another knock startled him. “C’mon, BFG, I know you’re in there. I saw your brother leave in his phallus on wheels, so I know you’re alone. Open up.”

Sweet Jesus. Though he knew he shouldn’t – there was no way to know if this was someone in disguise – Sam kept his gun at his side and slowly opened the door. There, standing on the other side, was Tony.

The man was dressed impeccably in a suit that probably cost as much as the Impala. He looked like he’d come fresh from one of his fancy get-togethers that he always complained about. Usually during texts that he would send off to Sam almost the entire time he had to be there. His theory seemed to be that, if he had to suffer, Sam was going to suffer with him.

Seeing him here, now, dressed like this, Sam found that he couldn’t quite figure out what to say. The only word that came to mind was “How…?”

“How did I find you?” Tony asked, arching one eyebrow. “You must really be out of it if you’re asking that. When _can’t_ Jarv find you?” He tilted his head and looked back at the room behind Sam. His lip twitched a little, an open sign of disgust, but then his eyes were back on Sam and his expression smoothed out to one that Sam had learned how to read these past few years. One that carefully hid the concern underneath. It just wasn’t all that often that Tony let it show. “You going to invite me in, or we just going to stand here all day until someone recognizes me?”

What else could Sam do except step back and let him in? “Dean’s down at the bar.” Sam felt the need to say. “He’ll be back in a few hours.”

Tony just made a humming sound as he strolled in. After a brief pause, he hooked one of the two chairs in the room and twisted it enough that he could drop himself down into it in an inelegant sprawl. “Am I supposed to care about that?”

“You’re the one who pointed out it’s probably not a smart idea for people to realize we’re friends.”

From the inside of his jacket, Tony pulled out a flask. He lifted it in toast to Sam’s words. “Too true. So why don’t you sit your humongous self down on one of these disgusting beds and we’ll get this night on the way before your brother comes and ruins it.”

As Sam stared at Tony he was hit with the far too familiar feeling of not quite being able to keep up with him. Sometimes he thought to himself that Tony’s mind worked on an entirely different wavelength than the rest of the world. It was what made him such a genius, while also making him extremely hard to understand sometimes. Though, Sam did begin to understand a bit more when Tony pulled another flask from his jacket and tossed that Sam’s way. Then he lifted his own and his expression turned solemn. “To Jess.”

Oh, _Jesus_. Pain wrapped like a vise around Sam’s heart. His hand clenched on the flask tight enough it was any wonder he didn’t break it. Logically, he’d known that this had to be why Tony was here. He had to have heard about it on the news or through JARVIS – who had proved more than once that he kept an electronic eye on Sam – and that was why he was out here. Sam just hadn’t expected him to be so blunt about it. Tony was the king of evasions and such. He was pretty good at letting Sam get away with them, too. But he was looking at him right now with an open expression of sympathy and Sam couldn’t… he couldn’t find the anger in him to snap at him the way he’d been snapping at everyone else. The ball of rage that sat inside of him gave way briefly under the grief that was never gone.

With a shaking hand, Sam lifted his own flask. “To Jess.”

They each took their drink silently. When they were done, Sam found himself doing as Tony had suggested and seating himself down on Dean’s bed, which was closer to Tony’s chair.

Tony watched him carefully, taking sips of his own flask as he did. “Do you know what did it?”

Not ‘who’. ‘What’. So he knew it was something not human. The fact that Sam was back out on the road was probably a good indicator. Sam took another long swallow and let the burn of whatever alcohol Tony had given him work its way down his throat. “Same thing that killed my Mom.” That had Tony wincing. Before he could say anything, Sam hurried on, words tumbling out of him before he could stop himself. “I dreamed about it.”

The instant he said that, he froze. Those were words he hadn’t even said to Dean yet. Words that he was _terrified_ to say to Dean. What would his brother think if he knew that Sam had been having dreams of Jess’s death _before_ she died? In their family, if something was supernatural, it died. Sam wasn’t entirely sure what kind of reaction Dean would give if he found out that his brother had some sort of powers.

Tony, though – there was no fear on his part about how Tony would react. He didn’t have the mindset that most hunters did. He was a man of science, someone who liked to _learn_ and to _study_. He wasn’t going to judge Sam just because he was different. If anything, it’d make him want to ask more questions, pick at Sam’s brain to figure out how it worked.

Realizing that had Sam relaxing a little. He looked down at the flask and kept his gaze focused there as he spoke in a soft voice. “I dreamed about her death for weeks before she died. I just… I didn’t think it was real.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Tony’s voice was softer now too, matching Sam’s, though it carried a sort of no-nonsense tone to it. “It was perfectly logical to think that you were just having a nightmare about losing another important woman in your life the way you lost your mother. You had no reason to suspect it was more than that, Sam.”

“But I should’ve. I should’ve known. If I had, I could’ve…” The grief that he’d been fighting welled up in his throat. Not even another drink was enough to burn it away. Sam felt his vision start to blur. “I should’ve known.”

The room fell silent as Tony gave Sam time to compose himself. Only when Sam was once more under control did his friend finally speak again. “What happened to Jess, it wasn’t your fault, Sam. No, don’t argue with me. I’m older and that means that I’m right.” Those words sounded so much like Dean they startled a laugh out of him. Pleased with that, Tony gave a nod. “Better. Now, I’ve got every faith in that bright mind of yours finding a way to catch the bastard that did this.”

“Dad never did.”

“You’re not your father.” Tony pointed out. Then he flashed another of those sharp grins of his. “And you’ve got things he never had. Namely, _me_.”

Immediately Sam was looking up, eyes wide and head already shaking out his denial. “Tony, no…”

“Tony, _yes_. I’m not saying I’m going to come and travel with you and your darling brother in that ridiculous car of his, no matter how classic it might be. I am, however, saying that I have absolutely no issue taking what information you do have and turning the collective minds of myself and JARVIS to try and to solve the puzzle.”

“Why?” This was – it was a huge thing. To take this on just to try and help him, someone that Tony had only known for a few years, it didn’t make sense to Sam. Why would he do this? Why was he here, abandoning whatever it was he’d been doing before, just to sit in a crappy motel room and drink with Sam? What was he continuously offering up his help in things, as well as the help of his AI?

The brief tightening of Tony’s features as well as a flash of pain deep inside his eyes told Sam that made that was the wrong question to have asked. When Tony pushed it all away and smiled again, so obviously deflecting, Sam didn’t call him on it. “I’ve told you before, pipsqueak. You know too many secrets to just wander free. You’re an honorary Stark now, with all the scandal and bonuses that come with it. That includes my help, as well as help from JARVIS. Oh! And, this.” From the inside of his jacket he pulled out something else that he then flung Sam’s way.

When the hunter caught it, he was surprised by what he saw. It was what looked to be a credit card. One that was in the name of Samuel Stark.

He lifted wide eyes to look at Tony. “Tony, I can’t take this. It’s too much.” Knowing Tony, this wasn’t going to be just a simple, low level card like Sam and Dean were used to using. Tony never did anything small.

“When has that ever stopped me before?”

“I don’t want your money.”

“I know.” The way that Tony’s eyes crinkled, the ease with which he smiled at Sam, those weren’t part of the persona that the media got to see. This was Tony. The real Tony. “You’re kind of strange like that. I like it. Much better than all the boring people I deal with each day. Speaking of boring people, you would not _believe_ this guy I had to sit next to tonight…” Without pausing for breath, Tony launched into a long rant about the man seated next to him at the dinner party he’d been at before he came here.

Sam sat there on his brother’s bed and listened to Tony’s stories about his dinner party. By the time Tony got ready to go a few hours later, the tension that had sat on Sam’s shoulders for weeks now had finally faded, just a little bit, and he found it just a bit easier to smile.

He and Tony stopped at the door to say their goodbyes to one another. Though Tony wasn’t huge on hugs and emotions and things like that, Sam couldn’t resist pulling him in for a hug. Tony let out a disgusted huff. “Ugh. Why are kids always so clingy?” Still, even if the touch was a bit awkward, he brought his arms up and hugged Sam’ back. He even gave him an extra tight squeeze before letting go. When they pulled apart, that gentleness from earlier was back in his eyes. “Take care of yourself, Winchester. And quit avoiding my texts or I’ll get JARVIS to send you one every five minutes until you finally answer me.”

Sam’s grin stretched wide. He had no doubt that Tony was serious. “Got it.”

“Good.”

As Sam watched the man go, phone already up at his ear no doubt calling for the car that would be parked somewhere nearby, he found himself grateful once again for the case he’d taken that had brought Tony into his life.


End file.
